When your child is not in the Pageant

I thought this day would be a couple of years away, after Nick had graduated from St. Teresa and gone on to High School. I imagined his last year, securing a key role as a reader or maybe even Joseph. I pictured Caitie and Adrienne home from college and beaming with pride as he participated in his final year just as they had done. The Christmas Pageant, the telling of the story of Christ’s birth, a long tradition in our church and school. They begin as tiny stars in Pre-K, moving up to faithful followers, angels, part of the tree, shepherds and part of the entourage of the kings, and then for 3 years you sit and sing in the choir only to be rewarded with the main roles in 8th grade. But as you recall we moved Nick to public school, where we aren’t really suppose to celebrate religious holidays unless we recognize each and everyone. I have no idea what has been going on in his classes where this is concerned. I thought about this lost tradition earlier today, when the kids would have been performing the morning show. Nick remembered it after school, and several friends mentioned it to him on facebook. He asked if he could go, to see his former classmates and socialize with them a bit. We said yes, and off Kevin is taking him now. He’s going to sit with a friend’s parents, and we’ll pick him up after 8. Me, I’m ok, maybe a little sad, but in my heart, I know moving him was the right thing to do.